The Labour Party has expressed its satisfaction with the Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that upheld Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the party.
The ruling reinforced the party’s stance that leadership decisions should be made internally by the party itself and not by the courts.
A statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, clarified that the Supreme Court’s judgment affirmed that the matter was purely an internal issue for the party.
The court, in its ruling, emphasized that the lower courts should have refrained from intervening in matters related to the leadership of political parties.
As a result, the Supreme Court struck out the appeal by Senator Nenadi Usman, which had been heard at the Appeal Court, and also dismissed the Labour Party suit at the trial court.
The judgment did not remove Barrister Julius Abure from his position as National Chairman of the Labour Party.
Instead, it upheld the previous decisions of the high courts and the Appeal Court, which had recognized the Labour Party’s right to determine its leadership structure.
The Supreme Court also did not annul the Appeal Court judgment in Labour Party vs. Ebiseni and 2 others (CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024), delivered on November 13, 2024, which had confirmed Abure’s position as the National Chairman.
The statement reaffirmed that this judgment remains valid and has not been appealed.
“The implications of the judgment are very clear. Barrister Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party,” the statement said.
It further clarified that the Labour Party’s constitution clearly defines the party’s leadership.
According to the constitution, the leadership is vested in the National Working Committee, headed by Barrister Abure.
It was also noted that the party’s constitution grants the National Secretary the authority to issue notices for meetings of the National Convention, the National Executive Council, and the National Working Committee, but only after consultation with and approval from the National Chairman.
The Labour Party also addressed the March 27, 2024, National Convention, which was called by the party’s leadership.
The results of this convention, which led to the election of the party’s leadership, have been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and are officially recognized by INEC.
In response to claims from certain individuals gathered in Umuahia, who celebrated what they called Abure’s removal, the Labour Party clarified that such gatherings were not in line with the party’s constitution.
The party stressed that these actions were misguided and misleading, as the Supreme Court ruling did not indicate any change in leadership.
“The leadership of the party is fully satisfied with the Supreme Court’s judgment, which reaffirms Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.”
“The current National Working Committee is validly elected, having been duly nominated, endorsed, and ratified through the party’s internal processes, in line with the Labour Party’s constitution,” the statement added.
The party called on all members to respect the decision of the Supreme Court and resolve party issues through internal mechanisms rather than rushing to the courts.
“It is only the political parties that have the power to choose their leaders, not the courts. Everyone must respect the decisions of the party and its constitution,” the statement concluded.
The Labour Party emphasized that the structures of the party are well-equipped to handle any internal matters, and as it stands, Barrister Julius Abure remains the legitimate National Chairman of the Labour Party.
